Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-13
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE.

Section l. Be it enacted by the Legis-
lature of the state of Texas: That there
is hereby created Bureau of Agriculture
for the state OF Texas, and attached to the
department of Insurance, Statistics and
History, which department shall hereafter
be known as the department Of AgriCul-
ture, Insurance, Statistics and History,
the head or chief officer of which depart
ment shall be styled the Commissioner of
Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics and
History.
Sec. 2. The present Commissioner of
Insurance, Statistics and History shall
assume the title named in the foregoing
section as his official designation, he
shall change the seal of his department
so to conform thereto, by inserting in it
the words: department Of Agriculture,
Insurance, Statistics and History OF the
state of Texas" or an Ineligible abbre-
Walton thereof, and shall at once assume,
in addition to his present duties, those
imposed by this act relating to agricul-
ture, and shall have the power to appoint
a clerk or clerks, as the additional labor
of his department may require; provided,
no clerk so appointed shall receive more
than $1,000 per annum.
Sec. 3. The commissioner shall be an
ors OF the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of the state, and shall be allowed
pay for all necessary expenses in attend
ing on its meetings. His connection with
said board of directors shall date from
the time the first vacancy occurs after
this aCJ becomes a law.
Sec. 4 The commissioner shall, at as
early date as Practicable, place his de-
partment in correspondence with the
Department of Agriculture at Washing
ton City, aud with the departments Of
agriculture Of the several states and ter
ritories of the United States, and
at his option with those of for
eign countries, and the representa-
tiyes of the United States in foreign
countries, with the view to gathering
facts and information that will aid and
advance the interest of agriculture in
Texas; he may also, for the same pur-
pose, open correspondence with such Or
CARNATIONS, societies and associations in
the state, having for their object the'pro-
motion of agriculture in any of its
branches, as he may choose, as well as
such individuals as he may select in Vari-
Gus parts OF the state.
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the COM
missioner to arrange and adopt some
plan for collecting and publishing agri-
cultural and farm statistics, in connection
with his annual report, in such form and
numbers as he may deem best or the con-
dition of the department will permit, and
to that end he shall, before the first day
in January in each year, furnish the tax
assessors of the several counties in the |
state with the necessary blanks, together |
with such instructions as Will properly |
direct them in that work.
Sec. 6. 1t shall be the duty of the tax |
assessors when listing property for taxes
to also call on the tax payer for the nee
essarV facts and Information for filing |
the blanks, and any assessor who fails to |
discharge the duties imposed on assess
ors by this act and the Instructions of the
commissioner shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor, and, upon conviction
thereof in any court of competent iuris-
dction, shall be fined in any sum not less
than S25 nor more than 500. They shall
receive such compensation as may be al
lowed by the commissioners courts OF
their respective counties, One-half to be
psid by the state and half of it by the
county, in the same manner that the fees
for assessing taxes are paid.
Sec. Z. The annual reports of the COM
missioner shall be distributed throughout